Management of Hops. 
b77 
fit to put up to young hops, or to jrrounds requiring less poles 
than those from which they were taken, from those poles only 
fit to burn cither for charcoal or any other purpose. Each 
quarter or leg of the stack should be bound around about two- 
hfths of the way up with 3 bines, with all the leaves stripped off 
them, and well twisted together ; it keeps the poles close and 
compact together, and may prevent some from being stolen, or, 
at any rate, it is much easier to discover if they have been inter- 
rupted than if not bound. 
It will here be in proper place to make a few observations on 
l)olcs that have not as yet come under our notice. I have, in 
stating the varieties of hops and the capabilities of different soils, 
stated the lengths and size of poles best adapted to them. I will 
now give a short description of the different sorts and their rela- 
tive value. Where large poles are used there are none that will 
stand longer than chesnut, for where they have a considerable 
size of heart, they will stand for many years after the sap is rot 
off just above the ground, and are tougher than heart of oak; 
but in a smaller sized pole, as the heart is smaller, they are 
not of more value than the other better description of the better 
sorts, such as ash, willow, and maple. Larch firs have been 
planted close for hop-poles, and have come into use considerably 
lately ; they are very straight and handsome, and are said to be 
very lasting. I have only used them for four years; but from 
what I have seen of them they will stand foremost up to a 14 
feet, and then will yield superiority only to the chesnut ; there 
are some sorts of wood — for instance, yew or box — that would, 
perhaps, last longer than either, but as these are not applicable 
to any extent for that purpose, it is useless to say anything fur- 
ther respecting them. The inferior sorts of wood generally cut 
for poles are oak, birch, beech, hazel, white birch, and alder ; the 
two last named are very inferior. It is of more consequence in 
large poles as to the sort of wood than in small poles, but it is of 
some consequence in all ; but as the poles of 14 feet long and 
upwards will, when they have lost one or two sharps, do to go 
into a ground where only i'i-feet poles are required, and as it is 
more the nature of the best wood to break only just above the 
ground, they will continue to wear down without breaking and 
falling to pieces in the middle as the inferior sorts do, they are 
capable of being used down to the shortest length required, or 
that will do; but with r2-feet and 10-feet poles that is not of so 
much consequence, for when they have lost a sharp they are only 
fit for weaker binded grounds or young hops. I shall perhaps 
best show their relative value by giving a statement of the prices 
of each, but as that much depends whether they are of young or 
older growth (for poles of 14 or 15 years' growth will last much 
longer than those of 8 or 10 years), or whether they are cut pro- 
